Talking about Law: English Vocabulary List

a person who practices or studies law, advises people about the law or represents them in court

"She is a good lawyer."

"The lawyer presented strong evidence in court and successfully defended her client against the serious charges."

a formal statement saying something is true, particularly made by a witness in court

"He gave his testimony today."

"The witness's testimony in court was crucial because it helped the jury understand exactly what had happened."

a serious promise or statement made by someone to tell the truth, often with the belief that breaking the promise will have serious consequences

"The president took the oath of office."

"The new president raised his right hand and took the oath of office in front of the crowd."

an obligatory task that must be done as one's job

"It is my duty to help."

"It is the duty of every citizen to pay taxes honestly and on time to support the government."

a group of twelve citizens, who listen to the details of a case in the court of law in order to decide the guiltiness or innocence of a defendant

"The jury decided he was guilty."

"The jury carefully reviewed all the evidence before making their final decision in court."

the power or authority of a court of law or an organization to make legal decisions and judgements

"This court has no jurisdiction here."

"The federal court claimed jurisdiction over the case because it involved multiple states."

a written request, signed by a group of people, that asks an organization or government to take a specific action

"The petition against the new road has 5000 signatures."

"The students started an online petition to convince the school to change the cafeteria menu."

to officially state the punishment of someone found guilty in a court of law

"The judge will sentence the criminal tomorrow."

"The judge will sentence the convicted criminal to ten years in prison for his role in the bank robbery."

to question someone in an aggressive way for a long time in order to get information

"The detective will interrogate the suspect."

"The detective spent several hours interrogating the suspect in a small room until he finally confessed to the crime."

to announce officially that someone is guilty of a crime in a court of law

"The jury will convict the defendant."

"The jury took only three hours to convict the defendant based on the overwhelming amount of evidence presented during the trial."

to officially put an end to a law, activity, or system

"Many countries abolished slavery long ago."

"Many countries have abolished the death penalty because they believe it is a cruel and unusual form of punishment."

to permit something by law, granting people the right or freedom to do it

"Some states legalized marijuana for medical use."

"Several states have voted to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes under strict regulations and supervision."